Metal-shearing machine



(No Model.)

9. T. BUCHER.

METAL SHEARING MACHINE. No. 591,811. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES. 6 Wk 94. a. BY Mflm ATTORNEY UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASPER T. BUOHER, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

METAL-SHEA RING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 591,811, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed April 30, 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CASPER T. BUoHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tiflin, county of Seneca, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal-Shearing Machines, of which the following description, taken inconnection with the drawings herewith accompanying, is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for cutting or shearing sheet metal or other desired material; and it consists in certain new and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

A machine embodying my invention embraces as its main or essential features a stationary cutter-blade or other part having a cutting edge, a rotary cutter arranged to coact withsaid stationary cutter-blade so as to form a cutting or shearing device, and means for supporting and operating the said rotary cutter whereby it may be positively operated to rotate on its axis and move longitudinally in a line substantially parallel to the plane of the stationary cutter at one and the same operation, the main object of my invention being to provide a machine of this character by which the metal or other material to be operated upon may be cut with a minimum and uniform degree of power, which object I secure with a machine embodying the features above referred to.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have shown my invention as embodied in one prac-' tical form, Figures 1 and 2 represent elevations of my improved machine from opposite sides thereof, the side shown in Fig. 1 having a part of the frame broken away to more clearly show the several parts of the same. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section of the machine through line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section through line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 represents a detail view of the rotary cutter.

As shown in said drawings, the main frame of the machine is formed by an integral casting embracing a horizontal bed-plate a and vertical side plate a, the latter being arranged at one side and extending above the bed-plate with a longitudinal space a formed between the same for a distance from one Serial No, 589,649. (No model.)

end thereof, in which space the cutting devices are adapted to operate, as will hereinafter he described. Upon the frame as thus formed the several operative parts of the machine are mounted or sustained. This main frame, as herein illustrated, is provided with ears a as a means by which it may be secured upon a suitable table or support, although it will be obviousthat the bed-plate of the frame might, be provided with supporting-legs attached directly thereto, or be otherwise suitably supported. 7

I) represents a stationary cutter-blade, consisting of a bar or plate, which is supported in a seat or opening in one side of the bedplate a at the opening a between the latter and the overhanging side plate a. The cutter-blade b is adjustably supported in this position by means as Will hereinafter be described, with its cutting edge I) in a position in line with, or slightly above, the surface of the bed-plate a, over which the metal or other material passes when being operated upon. c is a rotary cutter which coacts with said stationary cutter-blade to form the cutting or shearing device, and, as herein illustrated, consists of a circular disk which is supported in a vertical position above the stationary cutter,with one edge thereof extending just below or past the edge of the latter and in close contact therewith, so that when rotated forward, as will be described,its cutting edge a will coact with the edge of the stationary cutter to sever the metal or other material placed between said cutters. The rotary cutter or disk 0 is supported in this described position and against one side of the plate a, within an elongated recess a therein, upon a short shaft or spindle d, on which it is keyed or-made fast.

According to my invention, as hereinbefore stated, the rotary cutter c is adapted to be operated by suitable means, so as to be rotated on its axis and moved longitudinally in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the stationary blade b and against the metal being operated upon at one and the same operation, and as asimple and desirable means for securing such operation I have provided the side plate a with an elongated opening a therein, arranged parallel with the plane of the stationary cutter-blade b, in which opening the said disk-supporting spindle d is loosely supported to slide and rotate, and have also provided a vertically-arranged operating-lever e, which is made fast with the spindle d upon that side of the plate or opposite the rotary cutter c, and by means of which lever the said rotary cutter, through the medium of the intermediate connectingspindle d, is operated in the desired manner, as above stated.

The construction, as herein shown, by which the lever e is caused to operate the r0- tary cutter c in such described manner, is as follows: The lever e is arranged with one end projecting beyond the edge of said plate a to enable the operator to grasp and operate the same, and is provided at its lower end with a series of teeth 6 arranged in the arc of a circle having at its center the axis of the rotary cutter, which teeth engage with a corresponding series of stationary teeth or pins e arranged at one side of the plate a and in a line parallel with the opening a therein. By this arrangement of the several parts it will be understood that by moving or rocking the lever 6 either forward or backward over the stationary teeth a it will have at its center of rotation both a straight longitudinal and a rotary movement, which movement will be communicated to the rotary cutter through the medium of the connecting-spindle (Z. By this described movement of the cutter c it is operated with a minimum and uniform degree of power. The stationary teeth or-pins 6 as herein shown, are located immediately below the lever e, between the plate a and a second plate or bar a arranged parallel with the latter and secured at its opposite ends thereto, in which said plates the ends of the pins (2 are secured. It will be understood, however, that this arrangement of the pins e on the plate a and the teeth 6 on the lever 6 form an ordinary rack-andpinion connection between said parts and maybe modified in construction and arrangement in any suitable manner as may be found to be most desirable and convenient.

The lower toothed end of the lever e and and the teeth a with which it engages, are located above the horizontal plane of the stationary cutter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby a laterally-unobstructed space is secured between the edges of the two cutters, so as to allow sheet metal or other material of any desired width or size to be cut or operated upon by the machine, the advantage of which will be obvious.

The spindle cl, upon which the rotary cutter 0 and the operating-lever e are keyed or made fast at opposite sides of the plate a, is provided with an enlarged head d at one end thereof, and at its opposite end is screwthreaded to receive a nut d thereon, so that by tightening said nut d the rotary cutter and its operating-lever will be held in close contact with the opposite sides of the plate a, and on account of the large bearing-surface aiforded by the latter will be firmly held in their operative position. mediate side support between the rotary cutter and its operating-lever is particularly important in that it prevents possibility of any side deflection, during operation, of the working edge of the cutter from the coacting stationary cutter-blade.

The rotary cutter c has only a partial rotation on its axis at each operation of the same when operated by the lever, as herein illustrated, and therefore employs only a portion of its periphery as a cutting edge. For this reason it is desirable that the disk be made adjustable on the spindle d, so as to be capable of being turned thereon, and thus enable its entire edge to be brought into operative position when desired, and, in the present instance shown, in order to secure such adjustment, I have provided the cutter c, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, with several notches c in the periphery of the central opening therein, which receives the spindle d, which notches receive counterpart projections d on the spindle d, by means of which the cutter is held or locked from rotary movement on the latter. In order to adjust the said outter, it is moved lengthwise on the spindle from engagement with the projections d and is then partially rotated to make the desired adjustment, after which it is again moved into engagement with said projections (1 This described means for adjusting the cutter c I have illustrated as a simple and desirable construction for such purpose, although any other suitable form of construction for the same purpose may be employed. 4

The spindle d, at the point where it passes through the opening a in the plate a, is supported in a block a which is arranged to slide in the said opening at. This block 'is particularly adapted to distribute the pressure or strain produced upon the spindle d in operation over an increased surface, although an antifriction-roller might be employed in some instances in lieu of said block, or, if desired, the spindle mayhave its bearing directly upon the wall of the opening a". The outer end of the spindle d is provided with a washer d thereon, which rests and slides upon the upper edge of the plate or rail a, which latter in this particular forms a support or bearing for the spindle d and serves in combination with the bearing in the block a to rigidly support said spindle throughout its length.

The stationary cutter-blade b is supported in the base-plate a, so as to be laterally adjustable in relation to the rotary cutter c, and thereby insure the proper position of the cutting edges relative to each other and provide for any wear of parts, &c. As a simple and desirable means for securing such adj ustment I have formed the blade I) with beveled ends b 12 as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, and have provided two bolts h 72, which are supported in the base-plate and provided with tapered heads at one end thereof, as at h, for

This large inter-- engaging with the said ends b b of the blade I), and at their opposite ends project through the side of the base-plate and are screwthreaded to receive nuts 77/2 h thereon, by which they are held in position. The cutterblade is held in engagement with the head of the bolts h h by means of screws h 713, which are supported in the base-plate with their inner ends engaging with the inner side of said cutter-blade, as shown. By moving the bolts h h either backward or forward and holding the cutter-blade in engagement with the same by the screws 71 h3 it will be understood that the said cutter-blade may be adjusted as desired. The position of the cutter-blade may also be reversed, if desired, so that its opposite edges may be employed to coaot with the rotary cutter and thus allow for wear, &c.,

of the engaging parts.

The machine as herein shown and described illustrates one practical embodiment of the main features of my invention, which latter may be carried out in a machine difiering in many of the details of construction as herein illustrated without departing from the spirit of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination with the supporting-frame, of a stationary cutter, a rotary cutter for coacting with said stationary cutter, a lever having a fixed connection with said rotary cutter, and means forming a connection between said lever and the supporting-frame or part thereof, so as to cause the lever, when operated, to have both a rotary and longitudinal movement at its point of connection with the rotary cutter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination with the supporting-frame, of a stationary cutter-blade, a rotary cutter for coacting with said stationary cutter, a lever having a fixed connection with said rotary cutter and having a rack-andpinion or gear connection with the said frame or part thereof, the teeth located upon the lever being arranged in the arc of a circle and engaging with teeth arranged in a line parallel with the said stationary cutter-blade, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination with a supporting-frame embracing a horizontal base-plate and a vertical plate extending above said base-plate provided with an elongated opening therein, a stationary cutter-blade supported by said base-plate, a supporting-spindle extending through said elongated opening in'the frame to slide and operate therein, provided with a cutter-disk and an operating-lever secured in a fixed position thereon at opposite sides of the said vertical portion of the frame in close engagement with the latter to be supported and guided thereby, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination of a supporting-frame having a part thereof in the form of a flat plate provided with an elongated opening therein, a stationary cutter-blade supported by said frame, a rotary cutter arranged to coact with said stationary cutter and located upon a supporting-spindle, a block arranged to slide in said elongated opening in the frame and provided with a bearing to receive the said spindle therein, a lever having a fixed connection with said rotary cutter, and means forming a connection between said lever and the supporting-frame or part thereof, whereby the said lever, when operated, will actuate said rotary cutter, in a manner-substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination of a supporting-frame embracing a horizontal base-plate and a vertical plate, a rotary cutter-disk supported by said vertical plate so as to have a sliding and rotary movement, a stationary cutter-blade supported by said base-plate and in operative engagement with said rotary cutter, provided with the beveled ends b b the clamping-bolts h, h, provided with the tapering heads h, h, for engaging with the beveled ends of the cutterblade, and the adj listing-screws 7L 72, against which the cutter-blade is held in adjustable position by the said clamping-bolts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a metal-shearing machine, the combination, with a supporting-frame embracing a horizontal base-plate and a vertical plate, the latter extending above said base-plate and provided'with an elongated opening therein and with an elongated countersink or recess in one side thereof, of a stationary cutterblade supported by said base-plate, a supporting-spindle extending through said elongated opening in the frame, provided with a fixed operating-lever upon one side of said vertical portion of the frame and with a circumferentially-adjustable cutter-disk at the opposite side of the latter within the said elongated recess therein, the interposed frame serving as a guide and support for the cutterdisk and its operating-lever, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

CASPER T. BUOHER.

Witnesses:

W. F. NOBLE, WARREN P. NOBLE.

IIO 

